Black Bean Brownies

This is short and sweet. I meant to post this simple recipe earlier in the fall, when I first heard about it, but decided to take the opportunity to share it now....

This recipe was recommended by one of my personal trainers. He said these brownies are healthy for you and taste better, on average, than those with high fat and added cholesterol. My colleages at work and I tried them, and agree, they are a good replacement. Not bad at all! And if you ever crave a "chocolatey" treat, you might consider this healthy alternative?

Use a box of brownie mix and stir in one can of black beans (pour in everything from the can, including the water). The black beans and water actually replace everything that was to have been added to the brownie mix - such as eggs, water, etc. Follow the directions for baking on the package. And VOILA, simple Black Bean Brownies that are full of fiber and much healthier than traditional brownies.

Submitted on Monday, December 20, 2010.

My Doctor's List - A Prescription for Exercise

Last Friday was my 4th visit to my doctor since beginning this new exercise journey in early April 2010. According to my doctor's records I had lost 27 pounds (over 30 pounds at Lifepointe) since she started tracking the impact of exercise on my health. And I must admit, I feel pretty good.  I tell her that even though I am still quite heavy, I don't feel as winded or tired after exercise. She says that the exercise has most likely impacted my endurance. I feel certain she is experiencing this journey with me. (I feel fortunate that we have such a good relationship.)

As my doctor began reading and checking off each medication regulating cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, heart health, kidney function, and more, I could see that one more medication had been added to the end of her list. It made me smile out loud. Here is how the list of medications read in my chart:

Metformin 500
Niaspan (and an aspirin) 1000/day
Fish Oil - 3 1000
Lantus - 50 units at night
Valturna - 300/day
Coreg - 625 twice daily
Welcohl - 3 pills, twice daily
Vitamin D3
Exercise

When she got to the end of the list, she asked about my prescription for exercise. I told her about my workout schedule and commitment to exercising 5 times per week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I mentioned the importance of my work with a trainer two nights a week because "he pushes me in ways I cannot push myself." I told her about the water aerobics that I plan with my friend/colleague Deb, and about the strength training using the Human Sport machines and and cardio exercises I work on individually, two times each week.  

I have spent these last 6-8 months getting a sense of this exercise plan, with the help of very capable health coaches/trainers, and it is obviously making significant difference in my life. I celebrate (a happy, happy dance inside my head) and think to myself "there's no doubt about it, I have come a long way, baby!"

Submitted on Sunday, December 12, 2010.

P.S. Happy Birthday daughter Catherine. I love you!

It's a Holiday Weekend and We're Having a Heart Healthy Seminar!

My husband assures me that he knows of no other family like mine. When all family members and spouses gather at my parents home in the Midwest for the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays, spontaneous and planned seminars occur each addressing different health oriented topics. We might talk about new recipes involving spinach, changes in daily vitamin regimens, exercise routines, each family member's latest blood test results, symptom diagnosis, and more! I grew up with these health talks as a part of life, so I am never surprised by them or the frequency with which they occur.

I'm quite certain, however, that all this "blood talk" drives my husband absolutely crazy. One day after taking a walk in the neighborhood, my husband returned to my parents home only to find every adult woman in the house laying prone and still, impaled with multiple acupuncture needles. I'm sure this sight would shock anyone, let alone my unprepared husband!

Besides the regular holiday chatter/chats, games, workouts, morning coffee, walking tours of the local Reiman Gardens, football games, and/or antique shopping, there are also numerous "bodily function" discussions. Indeed "bodily function" discussions are standard fare! What do you expect when your family includes a Pain doctor with credentials in Acupuncture, a physiologist, a nurse and a doctor-to-be?

Of course this Thanksgiving holiday was no different. Led by my brother - the Pain Doctor - one central image was used to center our discussion. Taken from Life Extension's magazine was the image of a heart with 17 daggers of arterial disease. Our conversation focused on a variety of medical remedies, including exercise, important to maintain heart health. The image is below.

While all of the complex medical explanations made sense in context, I did take notes, mostly of my brother's recommended regimens. These notes are included below:

- Fat Soluble K2 regulates proteins
- Vitamin D3 - take 5,000-8,000 units per day
- Metformin good for the body and for people with diabetes
- Exercise keeps cholesterol from oxidizing
- Irvingia, Resveratrol, Isofavinoids lead to artery flexibility
- Nitric Oxide keeps coronary arteries dilated and lets cells use energy
- Omega 3's such as Lovaza (465 EPA and 375 DHA) take 3 times this amount
- Vitamin B6 turns down Homosystine (which is an inflammatory marker )
- Folate drives down Homostytine and keeps heart from having oxidizing stress
- Vitamin C and Lysine may lower Lipoprotein A
- 1000 units of Vitamin C are great anti-oxidents
- Vitamin E Tocotrienol is another antioxidant that turns down cholesterol in the Liver
- Hormone Estrogen may protect the heart in women but excess Estrogen is not always good

Whew...that was one, big chock-full-of-information family seminar! And now its time to let it sink in, like osmosis....

Submitted on Saturday, December 4, 2010.

P.S. What a string of birthdays! Happy Birthday Walter, Phillip and Susan!